The Self-Directed Teacher: Managing the Learning Process

Cambridge Language Education

by David Nunan, Clarice Lamb

This text provides the practical knowledge and necessary skills for the effective management of teaching and learning in today's classrooms. It focuses on the independent decisions teachers must make in lesson planning, group work, error correction, resource management, and evaluation. A task-based approach is used, and the material presented is well supported by theory and research. Advances in second language teaching methodology, including new emphases on learner centeredness and individualized instruction, have significantly changed the roles teachers play in the classroom and made ever-greater demands on their classroom management skills. This book helps language teachers meet these new demands by providing them with the practical knowledge and skills necessary for the effective management of teaching and learning in today's classrooms.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 1996

About the author

David Nunan is an Australian linguist who has focused on the teaching of English. His ELT textbook series "Go For It!" is the largest selling textbook series in the world with sales exceeding 1 billion copies.

Nunan's academic and student textbooks are published by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and the EFL publishing division of Cengage Learning. Nunan is Academic President of Anaheim University based in Anaheim, California. Nunan serves in a concurrent role as Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Professor of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Anaheim University where he has worked since 1996.

In 2000, Nunan served as President of TESOL Inc., the world's largest language teaching association, and was the first person to serve as President from outside North America. Previously Nunan has served as Chair and Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong and has been involved in the teaching of graduate programs for such institutions as Columbia University, the University of Hawaii, Monterey Institute for International Studies, and others.

Nunan began his career in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, where he learned Thai. Nunan has received numerous awards throughout his career for his contributions to the field of English Language Teaching.

Awards:

In 2002 Nunan received a congressional citation from the United States House of Representatives for his services to English language education through his pioneering work in online education through Anaheim University. In 2003 he was ranked the 7th most influential Australian in Asia by Business Review Weekly, and in 2005 he was named one of the top "50 Australians who Matter". In November 2006 Nunan was awarded the Convocation medal for outstanding achievement and contribution internationally to the profession of Teaching English as a second language, from Flinders University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Education and Linguistics. In December 2006 Nunan was invited by the Australian Prime Minister to attend the Advance Leading 100 Global Australians Summit in Sydney, Australia. Nunan is a distinguished advisor to the [Asian EFL Journal].

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was particularly helpful with one to one teaching and mixed groups. Chapters are similar to other teaching books, and there's a couple of new ideas I took note of. There's also a chapter on affective issues regarding learning a foreign language that will definitely come in handy, as it deals with motivation and anxiety and how teachers can help students deal. There was few new information compared to the other books I've been reading, but the one that was new was most valuable.

[Jay · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I really liked Nunan's other book, this book was not at all enjoyable or helpful for me. In addition, the language is too highbrow which leaves a dull dry taste in your mouth. Don't read this unless you have to.